Review-Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Dead Until Dark
Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mysteries Book One
292p. $7.99 pb
976-0-441-00853-7
Ace Books, May 2001






As I surf the blog world I have encountered a plethora of reviews and chat about Dead Until Dark, book one of the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris. So it seems almost redundant to summarize the story line. However for my own future reference and for those interested I will do so.

Sookie Stackhouse is a feisty young twenty-five year old bartender in the rural town of Bon Temps outside of New Orleans, Louisiana. She describes herself as pretty, blonde, blue-eyed. She says, her “ bosom is substantial and I have a waspy waistline.” Sookie however has a disability that interferes with her dating prospects. She is telepathic and is able to read the thoughts of the people around her. This isn’t comfortable to her as she explains how unsettling it is to know what a date is thinking about you. Honesty is not always a good thing. But, when a vampire named Bill walks into the bar and sits in her area, she discovers her mind is quiet for a change. She is overjoyed to discover she cannot hear his thoughts.

Vampires are common in Bon Temps and considered a segment of society, albeit trans-human dating is not always acceptable. They have become vampire through the transmission of a virus and so they walk the night. Bill has inherited a large home and has decided to mainstream here. When he meets Sookie, he knows she is something special, different an enigma and he is immediately stricken by her. As you can guess, they go out on a date, but soon the trouble starts. Sookie is witness to Bill’s anger and brutal strength. Later, a girl is discovered murdered, with bite marks on her neck an apparent death by strangulation. So now the stage is set for the mystery of Dead Until Dark.

I fell in love with this book from the first page. Is this a deep thought provoking novel headed for a Pulitzer Prize? Doubtful. Although it has won The Anthony Award and is now on HBO as True Blood, based on this series. Charlaine Harris is a literary temptress who hooked me into the story immediately. I couldn’t put it down. I loved the character of Sookie and her recalcitrant and sarcastic wit. She is strong, feminine, opinionated and eccentric. What a fabulous combination to pair up with a suave, handsome and sexy vampire who together ignite the turning pages. Go ahead and try something different. Charlaine Harris is sure to entertain you with her skillful storytelling, but be aware, I don’t think you will want to stop at book one. The series contains seven volumes. Hopefully, they will keep me coming back for more of the same fabulous fantasy.

Sookie Stackhouse Challenge 2009

The Sookie Stackhouse Challenge 2009 is hosted by my friend Beth F over at Beth Fish Reads.

I am so excited about this challenge, since I just finished my first Sookie Stackhouse book, Death Until Dark.

I was totally entertained... loved the setting, the characters, especially Ms. Sookie herself and the humor and wit provided by Challaine Harris. Woo Hoo!! What a fun challenge. Why don't you join me and have a neck biting good time this year!!

From Beth Fish Reads:
The Rules:

1. Between July 1, 2009, and June 30, 2010, catch up on Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire series. No matter if you're starting with book 1 or book 8, you have a year to read all about Sookie. Read Sookie in print, listen to the audio, read an eBook -- format is not an issue.

2. Sign up using Mr. Linky. Put your name in the top box. For the bottom box, please use the URL that links specifically to your blog post about this challenge, not to your blog's home page.

3. After July 4, I'll create a post with another Mr. Linky where you can link your reviews so everyone can read them track your progress.

4. If you don't have a blog and want to join in, sign up in the comments here. Later, let us know about your progress by leaving comments on the review link page.

EDIT: You can join any time during the course of the challenge.

The Books:

Dead Until Dark
Living Dead in Dallas
Club Dead
Dead to the World
Dead as a Doornail
Definitely Dead
All Together Dead
From Dead to Worse
Dead and Gone

Hope you join the group. :)

Alas....My Challenges Recap Revised

Plan ahead, two words my father was often trying to instill in me. He would even have a diagram of the two words that ran close to the edge of a piece of paper so that the words had to abruptly change direction vertically in order to fit it on the page. This image comes to mind today. I had scheduled "Alas...My Challenges Recap" to publish at a specific date and time, hoping to finish the post by then. What you may not realize is that it is incomplete and I had intended on writing a bit as well. So, the post did come out on time, I just did not plan ahead...enough. Ok Dad, I messed up this time.

So, this is a REVISED edition of My Challenges Recap. Sorry for the mix-up.

Challenge according to The New Oxford American Dictionary is

1. a call to take part in a contest or competition, esp. a duel : he accepted the challenge.
• a task or situation that tests someone's abilities : the ridge is a challenge for experienced climbers.

I accepted several challenges this year with high hopes. I had every intention of picking up each gauntlet with equal enthusiasm. I began to tackle the lists of books and diligently made blog entries, captured my reading progress and moved on to the next selection.

I failed miserably with challenges this year. I only read one book for the Austin Challenge, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, by Abigail Reynolds. I still owe a review for this one. I never would have read that book had I not signed up for this challenge. I am intrigued by the many novels published with Pride and Prejudice alternative plot possibilities. This challenge has widened my book snob selection process outside of my so called comfort zone. So for that I am grateful to this challenge.


The second challenge I bombed was the Sookie Stackhouse Challenge. Again, I only read the first book, Dead Until Dark. However, I love this series and plan to continue it through 2010. I have to admit I signed up for the challenge after I read the first book, but I still have enthusiasm and drive to complete this one.

The third challenge that I totally ignored was my own Book Buddy Challenge. I didn't read one book. I am so sorry for that. Pitiful, pathetic and just no excuse. I completed snubbed my poor dog Wizard. I owe you a few treats big guy.

The last challenge I had trouble with was the Romance Challenge. I believe I read a few romance novels, The Wild Heart, by Rosemary Rogers comes to mind. I honestly don't read many romance novels and this would have been a great challenge for me. I just never got to it.



These are the challenges I did complete, along with my 100 Books Read Challenge.


Pub Challenge



1. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford, Fiction (Published 2-09)
2. The Scramble for Africa Darfur-Invertention and the USA by Steven Fake and Kevin Funk Non-Fiction (Published 2-09)
3. Agincourt by Bernard Cornwell Fiction (Published 1/20/09)
4. The History of Now by Daniel Klein Fiction (Published 2/09)
5. The Miracles of Prato by Laurie Albanese and Laura Morowitz
6. Seducing the Spirit by Louise Young
7. The Indifferent Stars Above by Daniel James Brown
8. Every Boat Turns South by Jay White
9. The Secret Keeper by Paul Harris
10.Sweeping Up Glass, by Carolyn D. Wall

Southern Reading Challenge



1.Dead Until Dark, by Chalaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse)
2.Scottsboro, by Ellen Feldmen
3.Sweeping Up Glass, by Carolyn D. Wall
4.Every Boat Turns South, by Jay White
5.All Other Nights by Dara Horn
6.Salvos on Blackwater: A Novel of the Civil War Period, by Erwin Wunderlich



War Through the Generations



1.The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
2.The German Woman, by Paul Griner
3.Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet,by Jamie Ford
4.Daddy's Little Spy by Isabella Rosa
5.The True Story of Hansel and Gretel by Louise Murphy


Lessons and notes after my first full year of challenges:
1. Challenges cause me stress and worry and can put a person over the edge with anxiety. :(
2. Challenges have encouraged me to expand my reading choices. :)
3. Challenges are a fun way to connect with other bloggers. :)
4. Challenges whether or not you are a participant, lead to reflective reviews posted by fellow bloggers. :)
5. Challenges show other readers what my interests are. :)

As a recap, I came up with 4 out of 5 reasons to continue doing challenges in 2010. The only sad face I gave out was because of the anxiety and stress I put on myself when I don't finish a challenge. I can easily solve this by limiting my challenges this year. Since I still have courses I am taking for my Masters in History, upon reflection, this makes sense. I also need to get better, plan ahead to make sure I track my reading better, so that posting challenges will be less arduous. Sorry it took so long to post this recap but planning ahead as my father would tell you was never my forte. I will be posting my challenges on Sunday. Don't hold me to that. LOL

July Review

I have never put together a recap of my reading, but to be honest I didn't know what else to post about today. Isn't that terrible?

I have written reviews on all of these and they are in most cases posted to my blog. If not, they are due to be released in publication and I have to wait for the release to post them. I was pretty pleased with my reading this month because I had to get through several books for my Civil War class.



July List
7-09-Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
7-09-Beneath a Northern Sky, Steven E. Woodworth (A Short History of the Gettysburg Campaign)p.227.
7-09-When I Was a Slave, Memoirs from the Slave Narrative Collection, Edited by Norman R. Yetman
7-09-Slavery by Another Name, Winner of the Pulitzer Prize by Douglas A. Blackmon
7-09-Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse) by Charlaine Harris
7-09-Forever Free by Eric Froner
7-09-Hootcat Hill by Lucy Coats (YA)
7-09-The Last Day by James Landis
7-09-Under This Unbroken Sky by Shandi Mitchell
7-09-American Lion by Jon Meacham
7-09-The True Story of Hansel and Gretel by Louise Murphy
7-09-The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
7-09-The Disappearance of Irene Dos Santos, by Margaret Mascarenhas
7-09-Titanic, The Untold Story, by W. Mae Kent


Two books won a Pulitzer Prize:
American Lion by Jon Meacham and Slavery by Another Name
The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II, by Douglas A. Blackmon.

I am not one to pick favorites because it really depends on the genre.

Two books stood out as big surprises to me. I really enjoyed reading these two books. They are not necessarily my favorite reads of the month, but they were the most entertaining with memorable quirky characters.

Dead Until Dark...Sookie Stackhouse by Charlaine Harris
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows


Barnes and Noble has assigned Under This Unbroken Sky by Shandi Mitchell for the First Look Book Club in August. I couldn't wait to finish this book. It is fabulous. I did post a review on my blog, and if you didn't catch it, this book is one NOT to miss. She is a gifted writer and the story is unforgettable.

Well, that's about it for my July. I just finished my first book for August, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, bye William Kamkewamba. Look for my review soon. I am just finishing re-reading Pride and Prejudice again. Ahhhhhh...love it!

2009 Books Read List

100 / 100 words. 100% done!

Read to Date, 100 Books...
100 Book Challenge 2009

September-December Total=23
Houri, by Mehrdad Balili
The Sacrifice of the Sage Hen, by Susie Schade-Brewer
The Saint and the Fasting Girl, by Anna Richenda
Small Kingdoms, by Anastasia Hobbet
Once a Witch, by Carolyn Maccollough
The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel, by Maureen Lindley
Half Broke Horses, by Jeannette Walls
The White Mary, by Kira Kalak
After You've Gone, by Jeffrey Lent
A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
The Crimson Rooms, by Katharine McMahon
Journeying, by Barbara Fleming
The Wildest Heart, by Rosemary Rogers
The Widow's War, by Mary Mackey
Five Smooth Stones, by Ann Fairbairn
Dead Until Dark, Sookie Stackhouse, Charlene Harris
January's Sparrow, Patricia Polacco
The Devil's Cub, Georgette Heyer
No Wind of Blame, Georgette Heyer
The Wives of Henry Oads, Johanna Moran
Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, Abigail Reynolds
The Little Stranger, Sarah Waters
The Girl in the Lighthouse, by Roxane Tepfer Sanford


August Total= 5
8-09-The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
8-09-The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett (Non-Fiction)
8-09-South of Broad by Pat Conroy
8-09-The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel
8-09-The Half Moon, Henry Hudwon and the Voyage that Redrew the Map of the New World
by Douglas Hunter (Non-Fiction)
8-09





July Total 14 Books

7-09-Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
7-09-Beneath a Northern Sky, Steven E. Woodworth (A Short History of the Gettysburg Campaign)p.227.
7-09-When I Was a Slave, Memoirs from the Slave Narrative Collection, Edited by Norman R. Yetman
7-09-Slavery by Another Name, Winner of the Pulitzer Prize by Douglas A. Blackmon
7-09-Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse) by Charlaine Harris
7-09-Forever Free by Eric Froner
7-09-Hootcat Hill by Lucy Coats (YA)
7-09-The Last Day by James Landis
7-09-Under This Unbroken Sky by Shandi Mitchell
7-09-American Lion by Jon Meacham
7-09-The True Story of Hansel and Gretel by Louise Murphy
7-09-The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
7-09-The Disappearance of Irene Dos Santos, by Margaret Mascarenhas
7-09-Titanic, The Untold Story, by W. Mae Kent

June Totals 7 Books

6-09-Seducing the Spirit by, Louise Young
6-09-Scottsboro, by Ellen Feldman
6-09-The Indifferent Stars Above, b Daniel Brown
6-09-Battle Cry of Freedom, by James McPherson
6-09-After You've Gone, by Jeffrey Lent
6-09-The Bolter, by Frances Osborne
6-09-A Reliable Wife, by Robert Goolrick

May Totals 8 Books

5-09-Sea Changes,by Gail Graham
5-09-Every Boat Turns South, by J.P.White
5-09-Lace Makers of Glenmara, by Heather Barbieri
5-09-Leviathan, by Eric Jay Dolin
5-09-A Consumers' Republic by Lizabeth Cohen
5-09-Working Towards Whiteness, by David Roediger
5-09-The Feminine Mystique, by Betty Friedan
5-09-All Other Nights, by Dara Horn


April Totals 8 Books

4-09-Toys to Tools, by Liz Kolb
4-09-Daddy's Little Spy-Isabella, by Isabella Rose
4-09-The Tory Widow, by Christine Blevins
4-09-Salvos on the Backwater, Erwin Wunderlich
4-09-Tone Deaf in Bangkok, by Janet Brown
4-09-Mrs. Lincoln, by Catherine Clinton
4-09-The Barfighter, by Ivan G. Goldman
4-09-Sag Harbor, by Colson Whitehead

March Totals 11 Books

3-09-Eight Hours for What We Will, by Roy Rosensweig
3-09-The Recovery of Ecstasy, by Sandy Krolick, Ph.D
3-09-Outcasts Unlimitd, by Warren St. John
3-09-The German Women, by Paul Griner
3-09-Follow Me, by Joanna Scott
3-09-Uncle Tom's Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe
3-09-The Secret Keeper, by Paul Harris
3-09-Meteor of War, by Zoe Trodd and John Stauffer EDS.
3-09-The Sacred Well, by Antoinnette May
3-09 Big Boy Rules, by Steve Fainaru
3-09 Night Battles, by M.F. Bloxam

February Totals 10 Books

2-09 Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott
2-09-The Revolution of 1800, edited by Onuf
2-09 Ereth and Poppy, by Avi
2/09-The Unpolished Gem, by Alice Pung
2/09-I,Jacqueline, by Hilda Lewis
2/09-The Duke of Stockbridge: A Romance of Shays' Rebellion by Edward Bellamy
2/09-The Miracles of Prato by Laurie Albanese and Laura Morowitz
2/09-William Cooper's Town by Alan Taylor
2/09-The Color of Lighting by Paulette Jiles
2/09-The Disappearance by Efrem Sigel


January Totals 9 Books

1/09-Soul Enchilada by David Macinnis Gill
1/09-Canvey Island by James Runcie
1/09-Agincourt by Bernard Cornwell
1/09-The Scramble for Africa by Steven Fake and Kevin Funk
1/09-The History of Now by Daniel Klein
1/09-The Mind of a Genius by David Snowdon
1/09-Red Clay, Blood River by William J. Everett
1/09-High Spirits by, Dianne K. Salerni
1/09-Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by, Jamie Ford

2009 Challenges

Sookie Stackhouse Challenge 2009

The Rules:

1. Between July 1, 2009, and June 30, 2010, catch up on Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire series. No matter if you're starting with book 1 or book 8, you have a year to read all about Sookie. Read Sookie in print, listen to the audio, read an eBook -- format is not an issue.

2. Sign up using Mr. Linky. Put your name in the top box. For the bottom box, please use the URL that links specifically to your blog post about this challenge, not to your blog's home page.

3. After July 4, I'll create a post with another Mr. Linky where you can link your reviews so everyone can read them track your progress.

4. If you don't have a blog and want to join in, sign up in the comments here. Later, let us know about your progress by leaving comments on the review link page.

EDIT: You can join any time during the course of the challenge.

The Books:

Dead Until Dark
Living Dead in Dallas
Club Dead
Dead to the World
Dead as a Doornail
Definitely Dead
All Together Dead
From Dead to Worse
Dead and Gone

Book Buddy Blogger Challenge 2009

Hosted by Wisteria



My List of 10
1. The Last Queen by C.W. Gortner from Lesa @ Lesa's Book Critiques
2. The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran rom Krishna @ S. Krishna's Books
3. Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie from Iliana @ bookgirl's nightstand
4. The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry from Michelle @1 more chapter
5. Sunflower and the Secret Fan from Naida @ The Bookworm
6. The White Mary from Marie @ Boston Bibliophile
7. Kushiels Mercy, by Jacqueline Carey from Medieval Bookworm
8. The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver from Naida @ The Bookworm
9. The 19th Wife, by David Ebershoff from Medieval Bookworm
10.Persuasion, by Jane Austen from Naida@ The Bookworm

Thanks to all my book buddies for the great list I now can add to my TBR pile for 2009.

Romance Reading Challenge 2009

Hosted by Naida @ the Bookworm




This is my list:
1.Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry
2.Written on the Body by Jeanette Winterson
3.The Host, by Stephenie Meyer
4.Into the Wildernes by Rosina Lippi
5.Possession: A Romance by A.S. Byatt (1991)

Backup possibilities
+Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
+Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence
+Stardust by Neil Gaiman
+Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

War Through the Generations WWII Challenge 2009

Hosted by Anna and Serena @ War Through the Generations



My List of Books

1. Citizen Soldiers, by Stephen Ambrose
2. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet,by Jamie Ford
3. Skeletons at the Feast, b Chris Bohjalian
4. Suite Francaise, by Irene Nemirovsky
5. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society,
by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
6. The Irregulars, by Jennet Conant
7. The Sunflower, by Simon Wiesenthal
8. The Zookeepers Wife, y Diane Ackerman
9. Truman, by David McCullough
10. The German Woman, by Paul Griner
11. Flags of Our Fathers, Brady
12. The Good War, Studs Terkel

Pup Challenge 2009

Hosted by Anna and Serena @ War Through the Generations
Hosted by Michelle @ 1morechapter



Here are the 2009 rules:

1. Read a minimum of 9 books first published in 2009. You don’t have to buy these. Library books, unabridged audios, or ARCs are all acceptable. To qualify as being first published in 2009, it must be the first time that the book is published in your own country. For example, if a book was published in Australia, England, or Canada in 2008, and then published in the USA in 2009, it counts (if you live in the USA). Newly published trade paperbacks and mass market paperbacks do not count if there has been a hardcover/trade published before 2009. Any questions on what qualifies? Just leave a comment here, and I’ll respond with the answer.
2. No children’s/YA titles allowed, since we’re at the ‘pub.’
3. At least 5 titles must be fiction.
4. Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
5. You can add your titles as you go, and they may be changed at any time.

My List is as follows:

1. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford, Fiction (Published 2-09)
2. The Scramble for Africa Darfur-Invertention and the USA by Steven Fake and Kevin Funk Non-Fiction (Published 2-09)
3. Agincourt by Bernard Cornwell Fiction (Published 1/20/09)
4. The History of Now by Daniel Klein Fiction (Published 2/09)
5. The Miracles of Prato by Laurie Albanese and Laura Morowitz
6. Seducing the Spirit by Louise Young
7. The Indifferent Stars Above by Daniel James Brown
8. Every Boat Turns South by Jay White
9. The Secret Keeper
10.Sweeping Up Glassd

ARC Challenge 2009

Hosted by The Literate Housewife

Here are the rules:

1. To sign up, leave a comment (here) and a direct link to your blog post about this challenge that includes your list from rule #2.

2. List all of the ARC’s that you have to read right now. Then throughout the year, you must continue updating that list as you receive more ARC’s. (This is important). You should also strike out the ones that you finish.

3 a. All of us who have or will have more than 12 ARC’s must read and review 12.
3 b. All of us who have or will have less than 12 ARC’s must read all of the ARC’s we have. Note, that if you have 11 ARC’s and then receive a 12th one you will be bumped up to category a.

4. You don’t have to make a list of which ARC’s you plan to read, but you can if you want.

5. Crossovers with other challenges are allowed and Audio-books are allowed as long as they are ARC’s.

6. Read the books and review them on your blog. If you don’t have a blog, you can post your review on sites like Powells, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc. Leave a comment on this post with a link to each of your reviews.

7. Please subscribe to my blog, as I will be posting updates to the challenge periodically.

My Ongoing List:

Champlain's Dream
Mozart's Wife
The Mighty Queens of Freeville
Darling Jim
The School on Heart's Content Road
High Spirits
The Hunger Games
Journey to Tracer's Point
The Book of Night Women
Blond Roots
The School of Essential Ingredients
Red Clay, Blood River
Forgotten Patriots
Giants
Mistress Shakespeare
The Rose of Sebastropol
The Scramble for Africa
American Rust
ETTA
Mrs. Lincoln
Hidden Voices
Agincourt
The History of Now
The Mind of a Genius
The Sacred Well
Cutting for Stone
Drood
Yellow Knife
Big Boy Rules
The Color of Lightening
Canvey Island
The Miracles of Prato
The Commoner
Galway Bay
The Disappearance

100+ Book Challenge

Hosted by J.Kaye

48 / 100 (54.0%)

Sunday Salon--Exciting mentions....

Happy Sunday Salon Everyone!!
I must apologize for skipping last weeks Sunday Salon post. Please forgive me, but I was recovering from the day before. My cousin had come down with a carload, no joke of plants. He was coming down to construct a new garden for me in the front yard. He laughingly told me he would be driving with his head out the sunroof and when he drove in my driveway, I saw why. His car had become a botanical rain forest with an abundantly filled frontseat, backseat and trunk. An an array of plants in a kaliedescope of color.

Where was my cousin among the cascading vines? He jumped out laughing, with a smile on his face and I just couldn't get over what he had brought down to create my new garden space. So....having said that, I am sorry I missed last weeks post, but he wore me out. If you want to see my garden, check out my Wordless Wednesday.

Thank you "cous", for all that you do to help me!!! The garden is looking great!!! The garden club has been lurking around. LOL

2nd....For those who missed this great event, my awesome sister passed her state license test and became an RN this week. She is one strong female I'll tell you. Five children with one over 30, going to college for the first time late in life (no age disclosed...sorry) is not easy task. While continuing to raise her family, after 5 years of school, she realized her dream. Woo Hoo Sis!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's time for the reading recap for July, but I will post that this coming week. I did want to say I just finished my first Sookie Stackhouse mystery this week, Dead Until Dark. This was such a fun read and so unexpectedly witty. Charlaine Harris is such a talented writer with an amazing gift of natural dialogue and wit. You have to be sharp to pick up the sarcasm and humor when Sookie is around. Chalaine...I can't wait to read book 2-7. I decided to have a day of fun and read a book for me as my last July 2009 read. What a delight it was!!!

A huge shout out to Literary Feline for her reviews and recommendations of the Sookie series. If it hadn't been for her blogging, I probably wouldn't have picked up this book.

What was the last book you read just for fun. No ARC, no review....just a fun, you picked it book for yourself. Did you like it? How did it feel to have no obligation to review your book? Tell us your story. I'm curious.

Enjoy your week.....

Sunday Salon & Raffle September 7, 2008

Hi Saloners,

As I sit here writing this weeks Sunday Salon, my sister just called to let me know that my town is under a tornado warning. Lovely! Of course, at this time of night, around 8:00PM it is dark and Hurricane Hannah has been raising havoc all day. How do you see a tornado in the dark? The ground is saturated and trees, limbs and other projectiles litter the streets. Power lines are down, major streets are closed and I am thankful I am inside my cozy house. Now, you would think I live in the southern part of the US, but actually, I live in Connecticut. More specifically, the inland northern hills. So although I have lived through hurricanes while living at the coast in my earlier lifetime, I'm not fond of the term "tornado warning." My dog "Mystery" as usual, is hiding in the bathroom because she hates the sound of thunder. She shutters and quakes continuously until I can give her something to calm her down. Well, as Twain is quoted, "If you don't like the weather in New England, just wait a few minutes." I'm waiting.

The Winds of Tara, by Katherine Pinotti

You will be surprisingly swept away by The Winds of Tara, assuming you can obtain a copy to read. It is unavailable in the United States. Due to copyright infringements and the lack of authorization from the Mitchell Trust, the book was pulled from bookstore shelves. Fortunately, since the copyright does not apply in Australia, diehard Gone With the Wind fans, can buy The Winds of Tara there, albeit having to pay high shipping costs.

Once I overcame the logistics of obtaining the book, it was well worth the wait and expense. I was held captive again by Scarlett and Rhett as I was as a teen.
Again, Tara is the rock that holds the family together and nothing is more sacred or valued more, than the lives and reputations of those who live there. It is delightful to enjoy the banter again between the Butler’s as they continue to prove they are truly made for each other. Neither trusting each other, both madly in love with each other, both stubborn and unyielding. Without the Civil War as the backdrop, Scarlett is busy trying to save her marriage and recover her reputation as well as maintaining the social status of the family name.

Katherine Pinotti has succeeded in masterfully matching the tone, style, dialect and personalities of the original characters created so lovingly by Margaret Mitchell. It is obvious that the author took great care when writing the sequel to maintain a continuum that would be believable and have the same passion as the original. Her success should be celebrated as she has not altered the integrity of Mitchell’s novel, nor has she detracted from the novel’s birthright. On the contrary, Pinotti, has enhanced the legacy of Gone With the Wind by breathing a new soul into a story fans have yearned to hear.

Although it has been said that Mitchell never intended a sequel, many have attempted to provide a resolution to GWTW. Scarlett written in 1991 was rather dull and disappointing. Recently, Rhett Butler’s People, by David McCraig out in stores, provides another perspective. Both of these sequels were authorized despite Margaret Mitchell’s wishes. Another version bestselling, The Wind Done Gone by Alice Randall is from the slave’s perspective. This book was allowed to be sold only after a court decision ruled in favor of the author.

Katherine Pinotti’s version fulfills an enormous void for those fans who wish to reclaim the magic of Tara. The Winds of Tara is an astounding success. It will captivate your attention and you will believe.

“God’s nightgown!”, as Scarlett would say.
It is such a waste to finally have a worthy sequel, and not be able to support the demand for anyone wanting to read the book in the US. If you loved Gone With the Wind, you must send for The Winds of Tara today.

Busy Week

I've had a super busy schedule at work this week, but grateful for my free time to read at night. I had a productive week after finishing up the prodigious tome The Toss of a Lemon that had me tied up it seemed for some time. This book was very well written, but had such finite details that at times I almost said, "Enough, I'm done!!!" Fortunately, I stuck with it, because it really has a very strong heroine who I wanted to follow to the end. Please see my review: The Toss of a Lemon

Finished this week....reviews to follow.

1.You Are Here, The surprising link between what we do and what that does to our planet. by Thomas M. Kostigen This is a series of stories about cities or places around the world that are the most polluted and who is responsible.

2.Living Dead Girl, by Elizabeth Scott
3.Red Sky in Morning, by Patrick Culhane
4.The Fire, by Katherine Neville
5.A Lady of Secret Devotion, by Tracie Peterson

Win a Book,End of Summer Raffle

This week I am having a raffle for a copy of So Long at the Fair. This is what Amazon said about this book:The bestselling author of Drowning Ruth returns to the small-town Wisconsin she so brilliantly evoked with this gripping novel about love, marriage, and adultery.

The Rules: 1. Leave a comment on my blog. (one chance)
2. Answer this question and get (another chance): What was the name of the book written about Gone With the Wind from the slave's perspective?
3. Link this raffle to your blog. (another chance)
4. Drawing will be held on September 18th.
5. Contest only open to United States shipping address.
6. Leave an email contact address.

Good Luck!!